OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

ALL THE SAINTS OF IRELAND

  • Saint Cronan of Ferns, June 22

    June 22 sees the commemoration of a saint of Ferns, Cronan or Mochua. As Canon O’Hanlon explains, his feast day and locality are well-attested in the Irish calendars and his repose in the seventh century is recorded in various of the Irish annals:

    ST. MOCHUA LUACHRA OR CRONAN, ABBOT OF FEARNA, OR FERNS, COUNTY OF WEXFORD.

    [SEVENTH CENTURY.]

    THE present holy personage must have flourished at an early period. In the “Feilire” of St. Aengus, the festival of “mighty Cronan of Ferns” occurs, at the 22nd of June. In the “Leabhar Breac” copy is the following rann, translated into English, by Whitley Stokes, LL.D. :—

    “With James, son of Alpheus,
    twice eight hundreds,
    a fair train,
    the feast of a man who loved not bodily ease,
    mighty Cronan of Ferns.”

    The commentator on the “Leabhar Braec” copy calls him the Comorba, or successor to Moedoc of Ferns. At this date, also, a festival is entered in the Martyrology of Tallagh, in honour of Mochua Luachra idem, ocus Cronan a Ferna. In this passage, St. Mochua and Cronan seem to be distinct persons. However, as already established in a former part of this work, the terms Cronan and Mochua are synonymous, and represent only a single saint. He seems to have been known, likewise, as St. Dachu and Ducua Luachra. There is a Luachair-mor tiara da Inbher, denoting a large rushy land between two streams or estuaries, situated in the barony of Upper Duleek, and county of Meath. There was also a Luachair-Deadhach —now known as Slieve Loughra—near Castleisland, county of Kerry. It seems altogether very probable, that St. Cronan or Mochua had been connected with this district and territory. The present holy man appears to have succeeded St. Moedoc, Bishop of Ferns; and, he is said to have presided over the monastery which was there, in the beginning of the seventh century. The Annals of the Four Masters assign the death of St. Dachu Luachra—as he is called —Abbot of Fearna or Ferns, to A.D. 652, while those of Ulster have A.D. 653. In the Martyrology of Donegal, and at the 22nd of June, is written, Cronan, that is, Mochua of Luachair, Abbot of Fearna. How long the present holy man occupied that position has not been ascertained; but, his name first occurs in the list of Abbots there, after the resignation of St. Moling, whose death has been assigned usually to A.D. 696 or 697. Ferns is the well known See of a Bishop, and situated in the county of Wexford. In this county, also, there is a Tober mac lura, in the barony of Ballaghkeen and parish of Maelnagh. Here, there had been a holy well and a patron. The latter was held on the 22nd of June. Whether or not the present saint attained the episcopal dignity may be questioned; but, the early superiors in Ferns seem to have been styled indiscriminately Archbishops of Leinster, as also Bishops and Abbots of Ferns.

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  • Saint Suibhne, the Sage, of Armagh, June 21

    At June 21 the Irish calendars commemorate an eighth-century Bishop of Armagh, as Canon O’Hanlon explains:

    St. Suibhne, Bishop of Armagh, County of Armagh.

    At this date, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, we meet with the following entry, Suibne, Episcopus o Chobran. But there must be some mistake committed by the scribe, when inserting the last word. This holy man is called the son of Cronumail, or Crunmall, son to Ronan of the Ui Niallain, and he was successor to Flan-Febla, who died, April 24th, A.D. 715. The present saint, who is called In-Sui or the Sage, governed the primatial See for a period of fifteen years. The Yellow Book of Lecan assigns, however, only twelve. During his episcopacy, Flahertach, monarch of Ireland, abdicated his sceptre, and embraced a monastic life, at Armagh. St. Suibhney or Suivney died on the 21st of June, A.D. 730. His name is recorded, in the Martyrology of Donegal, at the same date, as Suibhne, Bishop of Ard-Mocha.

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  • Saint Faolan of Strathearn, June 20

    June 20 is the commemoration of a Saint Faolan, whose name is also rendered in the nineteenth-century sources as Fillan, Faelan, Foilan and Felan. This saint is linked to both Ireland and Scotland, but is accepted as a distinct individual from the more famous Saint Fillan, son of Saint Kentigerna, who is commemorated on January 9, two days after the feastday of his mother. The Faolan of June 20 is also described in the Martyrology of Tallaght as Faelan amlabair, Faolan, the mute. The gloss on the Martyrology of Oengus describes him as:

    20. Faelán, i.e. of Ráith Érenn in Scotland, near Glenn drochta in the west it is. Faelán the Dumb, from Srath Érenn in Scotland.

    As the saint is also associated with a church site named after him, Cill Fhaelain, anglicized as Kilwhelan, this provides Canon O’Hanlon with an opportunity to write about a place he knows well, his native county of Laois, called Queen’s County prior to Irish independence:

    St. Faolan, of Rath Erann, in Scotland, and of Cill Fhaelain, in Leix, Queen’s County.

    At the 9th day of January, we have already treated about a distinguished St. Foilan, Felan, or Fillan, who was an Abbot in Scotland, and a native of Ireland. He is said to have been baptized,by a holy Bishop named Ibar. Now, such a bishop seems to have lived in Leix, at an early period. It is related of that St. Foilan, how it was prophesied, he should be born with a stone in his mouth. Moreover, he was a leper. Wherefore, a suspicion has been suggested rather than approved, that such concurring circumstances might possibly identify him with the St. Faolan of Rath-Erran, in Alba, and of Cill-Fhaelan, in Leix. The latter holy man was venerated on this day. A festival is set down, at the 20th of June, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, and in honour of Faelan amlabair, in StraithEret, in Albain. From a very early period, in the Irish Church, the feast ofthis latter holy man had been kept, as we find it set down in the “Feilire” of St. Aengus, who mentions him with eulogy, as being a “splendid mute.” The commentator adds, that he was the son of Oengus, son of Natfraech. He is commemorated, also, by Marianus O’Gorman and by Charles Maguire, at this date. He is designated, moreover, as “Leprosus”—meaning that he was a leper—and it is stated, that he belonged to Laigisia—Leix—a region in Ireland, and that he was of Rath-Eerionn, in Albania. The Bollandists have a notice of this saint, at the present day.

    In the old Life of St. Attracta, there is a legend related, about how she saved the people of Lugna from the wrath and violence of the King of Connaught, his chiefs, and people, by opening a passage for them through Lough Techet. Only one holy man named Foelan, the servant of a harper, was drowned; and owing to the entreaties of his master, St. Attracta prayed for his release from death. An Angel directed her, to go to the place where he lay; and, obeying this order, she found the body as if laid out in sleep. On touching him, Faelan arose as if from an ecstasy. It seems to be inferred, that this present saint was thus restored to life, after he had been drowned. He must have flourished at a very early period, if the identity be established; but, there seems to be no bond of historic connexion to trace it, either as to time or place, while the whole statement is of an extravagant and legendary character. We are further informed, that Faolan was descended from the race of Aenghus, son to Nadfraech, who is supposed to have been the celebrated King of Munster, bearing that name. If this be so, Faolan most likely was a native of that province, and his birth should be referred to the fifth century. However, there are no safegrounds on which to establish a correct conclusion. It is probable, when he resolved on a place for religious seclusion, a vast wood and a wilderness surrounded that elevated spot he selected for a habitation. There, he probably built a cell, and lived in it for some time. His name, moreover, was ever afterwards associated with the locality, and the spot where his church stood was frequented by devout worshippers, so late as the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

     

    Although Archdall asserts, that the place was unknown, such is not the case; for, Kilwhelan was situated on one of the western slopes of the Cullinagh Mountains, in the Queen’s County. The name is still locally preserved. It lay also within the ancient territory of Leix. It is remarkable, that an old disused burial-ground may yet be seen in this townland; while tradition avers, that an old church formerly marked the site, with even greater prominence. The writer has often visited this spot, in early youth, and long before he had acquired a knowledge of its having had a former historic celebrity. At that time, the mound of human remains was a much more prominent object over the surface of an open field, than it now is; cattle have since trampled it down, in its exposed and neglected situation. However, at no time within the present century has there been even a head-stone to mark the site of a grave; but, the peasantry relate, that when the adjoining earth had been turned—even with the plough—human remains, and also pieces of coffins, have been unearthed, which prove, that formerly it was much used as a place for interment.
    We find the present saint recorded, in the Martyrology of Donegal, at the same date, as Faolan, the Stammerer, of Rath Eronn, in Albain, and of Cill Fhaolain, in Laoighis, of Leinster.

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